UPDATE: It turns out that Monica Hamm’s decision to show her aged gelding, RPL My Te Cheerful, was the right choice. Just moments ago, she won the Grand Champion title in Youth Geldings. With some assistance from her little sister, Kaylee, Hamm also won the Reserve title with Boys N Toys.

“Willy is a beautiful mover and has some of the prettiest lope-overs you’ll see. He’s a very soft-moving horse and very pretty and expressive over the poles. It’s an attractive picture overall.”

“He won with him at the Youth World, this is his third horse show with him, and he wins the Congress! It’s pretty exciting.”

Parrish is very proud of this mare’s performance today, but he is even more excited to deliver such a memorable birthday present to Mrs. Alice, her first Congress Championship win.

“This is kind of a little diamond in the rough,” Gilliam says.

“She gets a little nervous in the ring, but we work it out,” Jensen says. “I just talk to her and say, ‘good girl,’ and keeping telling her she’s doing good.

It was a true nail-biter until the bitter end with the determining factor for the top two spots resting on the placings of the final judge.

“She’s just a lovely mare. She’s huge and beautiful. She’s one of those kind of horses that everyone walks up and asks about.”

“He wasn’t even supposed to come,” says stallion manager, Christi Christensen. “We ended up having a horse not be able to come two days before we left.”

“The crazy part is Taylor kicked twice right then, so I grabbed my stomach. I’m a little emotional right now anyways!”